Cycling Groups Urge Action at COP26

Cycling can and must play a prominent role in future transportation planning if the world is to meet its climate goals. That is the key message conveyed by 221 cycling organizations worldwide in an open letter to participants at the recent 26th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.

“There is no conceivable way for governments to reduce CO₂ emissions quickly enough to avoid the worst of the climate crisis without significantly more cycling. Cycling is one of the best solutions we already have to ensure our planet is habitable for all generations to come,” concludes the letter. 

Spearheaded by the European Cyclists Federation, the letter details how cycling can result in significant reductions in critical CO2 emissions that are polluting the air and leading to global warming. 

“Cycling represents one of humanity’s greatest hopes for a shift towards a zero-carbon future,” the letter states. 

Cycling advocates expressed concern that the COP26 climate meeting, attended by many heads of state, focused too much attention on how to move from gas-powered motor vehicles to electric without also considering the need for more cycling. Transforming the world from petro-fueled motor vehicles to electric will take decades and may be too little, too late to avoid climate catastrophe, say some scientists and cycling advocates. By contrast, investing in cycling and encouraging people worldwide to use a bike instead of a car for at least some of their short errands, could make a bigger impact much more quickly and at a lower cost.

“Our world is on fire,” the letter states. “We must urgently leverage the solutions that cycling offers by radically scaling up its use. What we need now is for governments to politically and financially commit to more, safer and integrated cycling that is equitable for everyone living in our countries, cities and regions.”

See the full content of the letter here: https://cop26cycling.com/#letter.